by Peter John
After reading this description, I realized I had to make the choice best suited for me and who I was, not for a single mission and its singular outcome.
The prompt read:
You have selected to be a Prodigy Pioneer. Is this your final decision?
Y/N?
I chose yes and felt myself becoming insubstantial. Then as my consciousness began to fade I slowly began to feel again. It started at my extremities and extended along them until my core felt solid again. As if I were being reconstructed from the molecular level. It wasn’t painful thankfully, but it definitely felt strange and disconcerting. Saying I was becoming accustomed to the various sensations wasn’t true, but I was beginning to expect the unexpected. After the sensations washed over me, then, through me, I moved on. With a quick glance at my updated Attributes.
Col. Petros Arkansas (Callsign: Armpit)
Class: PRODIGY
PIONEER
Species: HUMAN
Grand Level: 37
Hit Points (HP): 1700
(Additional 400 hit points will boost your system when HP reaches 0. Due to resilience from certain death)
Mana Points (MP):2100
Attributes:
Strength:
19
Agility:
19
Intelligence:
21
Wisdom:
21
Stamina:
19
Luck:
15
Constitution:
17 (Bonus +4 at 0)
Now I wanted to see how my magical skills had progressed.
You have magical skill points to distribute. Would you like to add them now?
Y/N?
I chose yes, and the view changed to my Magical skill tree.
A voice crooned out as the prompts read:
You have reached the Apprentice level in several Magic schools Congratulations!
You have leveled up nine levels, thus accruing 18 skill points to distribute across your magical levels plus an additional bonus of 15 magical skill points for reaching Apprentice level in one of the Secondary Tier magic.
*Note:
Tier 2 magic require 2 points per level
Tier 3 magic require 3 points per level
Tier 4 magic require 4 points per level
Points to distribute: 18 (+Bonus 15 points) Total 33
Tier 1 Magical ability
Fire
35
Nature
28
Air
15
Aqua
14
Metal
16
Tier 2 Magical ability
Light (External)
25
Light (Internal)
32
Dark (External)
38
Dark (Internal)
21
Tier 3 magical ability
Psychic magic - 1
Tier 4 Magical ability
Blood magic - 0 (current skill still to be determined, availability after the upgrade completes)
Before I logged out, I distributed points into Dark internal and Light external. My idea being to even out those skills which were lagging. I also added two points to Air and Aqua. My recent near-death experience had left me in no doubt about how much I lacked in Aqua magic, and I didn't want Air lagging behind either.
I also added two to Psychic Magic, although I did not understand what that was, and I definitely had no spells in that field. The Tier 4 magic called Blood magic meant that I had opened another way, and thinking back, I guessed it must have been when I died. The term Blood magic meant nothing to me and there were no highlights or hints for me to read more about it. I also had to wait for the six months as the upgrade completed before I could access that skill so it wasn’t something I would worry about at this stage.
I looked and highlighted the changes on the list again:
Tier 1 Magical ability
Fire
35
Nature
28
Air
17
Aqua
16
Metal
16
Tier 2 Magical ability
Tier 2 Magical ability
Light (External)
27
Light (Internal)
32
Dark (External)
38
Dark (Internal)
23
Tier 3 Magical ability
Psychic magic - 2
Tier 4 Magical ability
Blood magic - 0 (current skill still to be determined, availability after the upgrade completes)
Your abilities have been adjusted.
Logout Y/N?
Finally happy with what I saw, I chose yes and darkness shrouded my vision. Only to appear in the computer command lab of the alien ship.
CHAPTER 28
Insight
When I extracted myself from the machine, Alex moved back into the room and assisted me to get my bearings. It was always like this when detaching from these machines; The worst part was when the nutrient needle was extracted from its direct access to my gut. I had asked Grant why they didn’t use a tube down the throat, and he had said that sometimes they needed to put material in direct contact with the stomach lining and gut immediately and didn’t have time to wait for the throat to swallow. Whatever the reasons, after the upgrades I was feeling woozy. I decided to question Alex about his role and what he did.
We moved into what can only be described as a refreshment room, where the techs took a break and some R&R between maintaining their servers. Cozy and functional. I grabbed some snacks immediately and through a mouthful of donut; I mumbled some per functionary questions at my host.
“Hey Alex, how did you get involved in all this?” Alex looked up and then looked around nervously. As if he wasn’t sure how to respond without supervision.
“I do the programming of the landscapes and 3D design control for the Sims.” he responded. “I also do a lot of the quality control and design of the upgrade system.” He didn’t stutter at all and I wondered why? Getting back on track, I asked, “So you determine how we are upgraded?”
“No, no, I determined how to represent it to you. The upgrades and abilities are the Absinths idea. It wasn’t always like this, but they have studied us and believe we need a positive feedback system in place that rewards our bodies with proactive engagement. The mobs and challenges are not my area though; I just define and identify which traits are used and attribute a number or value to them. I studied Astrophysics, but moved into programming and virtual reality. I was a MMORPG programmer for the “Ancient Books” game before I was abducted. The Absinthe wanted something like that system implemented on theirs to adequately convey rewards for effort. Their nanobot technology could make super soldiers out of all of us, but a super soldier who knows how to actually ‘BE’ a super soldier would get more mileage out of the upgrades than someone who doesn’t have the experience. This is why older experienced soldiers are chosen. The Absinthe want the gifts of enhancement to actually be used by responsible people. They provide the Sims so you lose all inhibitions while training. Pushing yourself beyond your limits, while you know you are safe from real death.”
This was interesting, and it seemed Alex had a lot more insight into the motives behind the whole Abduction program. I needed to keep him in a chatty mood.
“What is this whole upgrade gamer thing though? Classes, abilities and so on. Why do they even bother? Surely if they just give us the upgrades and enhance us as time goes on according to our abilities, it would be better?” I inquired.
“Not at all Sir, by listing and naming the respective skills, it gives you Spec Op guys something to focus on. A target to challenge you. You guys have spent your entire lives competing to be the best of the best. By naming each trait, each skill, each ability, we narrow down your focus to allow you the opportunity to enhance it specifically. If you didn’t
know your climbing skills were lacking for example, but you had loads of agility (which really amounts to potential), then when you attempted to climb, you might be nimble enough to scamper up most obstacles but would lack the finer skills of the art. With the skill building up each time, you become better and better at it, the potential becomes real. Consider that a cyclist is superb at cycling. Good stamina, strength, and general all round cardiovascular capability. Yet if he was forced to run a long distance race, despite his condition, he would lag behind a long distance athlete simply because he doesn’t have the skill set and knowledge of how to pace his body in running. Similarly, the long-distance runner would find the same difficulties in cycling. Hence, we list as many abilities as we can and attribute scores. When one of you guys from ASS,” he chuckled at this but I was not amused.
“Ahem…” he mumbled, “… sorry, you know the acronym stands for Abductee Special Service?”
I nodded. “If I have any say in the matter, they will change it. Go on with your explanation.”
He paused to look at me and seeing I was not lingering on that topic, continued, “Well if you Spec Op types know you are lacking in a certain ability, you tend to correct that and force yourself to be better. The average person out there doesn’t have that kind of willpower, nor the discipline. So I think it makes sense that we list all the skills and abilities.”
I umm’d, then aaah’d , rubbing the stubble on my chin. “Can I suggest something?”
“I don’t think I could stop you if I wanted to.” Alex said grinning. He knew I had something I wanted to say. In fact, it was the driving reason for this conversation and he seemed to know it. A smart fellow, this Alex, harmless-seeming, but definitely smart.
“Can we change the system? Can we instead group traits, skills, and abilities into specific titles. What I mean by this is, for example, Archery. If I had a level one in archery, it would mean I could string a bow, understood which way to point the arrow and how to hold it, notch it, aim and fire. Then level two could be that I could hit a target 80% of the time with a rough grouping, then level three would be something like 80% accuracy within a distance of 50 paces and so on? The skills would be combined into the whole title, instead of worrying about finger nimbleness and acuity of the eyes and shoulder strength, etc. Those abilities would just naturally fall under the general skill called Archery. I’m not saying take those away, perhaps use those skills in the programming side to work on whether someone has Level one archery, but don’t bother with giving us the option to upgrade each detailed unit of the whole.”
“Hold on there, Colonel, what you are saying is already in place. We don’t list every single little detail that makes up specific traits. We don’t do that at all. It is much more general than that, even though we narrow down the skills required, it just makes little sense to focus on each little detail, or you would achieve no leveling at all.”
Alex looked at me. “Do you have all those itemized traits listed?”
“I do,” I stated, but now I was feeling quizzical. It is a little overwhelming when I upgraded only to find lists upon lists of skills, sub-skills, and even more sub-skills. Could it be because of my increased level of intelligence I could look into the deeper layers of any given skill? I asked him as much and when he learned I was a Prodigy class, Alex explained.
“As a Prodigy Sir, you have the option to look much deeper into the skills set menus. I am not familiar with that, as that would be something the Absinthe control. If they have boosted your intelligence to such a high level, then it makes sense that you get access to the finer points of manipulation that you can do to improve your skills beyond the norm. It’s the first time I have upgraded a Prodigy class but what you describe fits the profiling. What level are you now?”
I told him and he whistled
“You are coming along quickly. How long have you been here?” he asked incredulously. “It’s been less than a month, surely? Usually, new recruits take at least six months to get from level 1 to beyond level 25. You must really be grinding your skills. I guess knowing all the details does make it easier to target where you lack in skills and this is exactly what we have been talking about. It helps you advance quicker.”
“Honestly Alex, I have hardly used the interface. I close the battle log most of the time. I find it is only useful in controlling my stamina and watching my health. I am curious though, how does it all work? And why can’t I just get the skills as I acquire them, why do I have to wait for this machine to…” I created inverted commas in the air “… enable them.”
“I am not entirely sure, but from what I understand is that there is now a quantum chip inside each of you, recording and collecting data and sometimes providing data. It enhances your own brains processing power by syncing all the upgrades with your abilities. When you first get upgraded, they start from the ground up. I would hazard a guess that you are no longer even really human. If you are, very little of you is still human biologically. They keep your basic form and function of course . Consider this. They inserted nanobots within your bloodstream to destroy foreign bodies, then line your muscles, capillaries, nerves, bones and every other tissue element with what they call “enhancement elements” These elements effectively replace what you had before. The tissue, sinews, bones are all being reinforced with added elements and catalysts. Allowing for faster reflexes, better adaptability, and special nerve conduits enhanced within your very brain to channel magic. It’s like they took out your flesh and replaced it with something newer, more durable and replaceable. Any deleterious elements within your very DNA have been adjusted and enhanced. Your mitochondria are the factories that keep cells working and even those have been enhanced at the molecular level. There is no part of you that is weak, sick or likely to fail under duress.”
Alex took a breath, a sip of his beverage then continued. “Even aging will be negligible. The cell structures are retained, but the internal proteins, enzymes, RNA, DNA, mitochondria and every other intracellular and intercellular material has been enhanced with catalysts and reinforcement compounds to help you heal and regenerate while the nanobots reprogram your DNA on how to keep this new form and how to extract the fuel needed to do that. This process I just put you through was the last flushing out of your previous old human body parts and included a booster shot of new nanobots into your body. These will combine at various places and perform different functions at different times. They contain information and are literally self-aware. They have only one objective. To enhance you and thus keep themselves alive. Everything about you has been changed.”
I looked at Alex askance. It was both a dream come true and a nightmare. “You mean they have placed my spirit in a new vessel, I’m a cyborg?”
“I am not sure if there is such a thing as a spirit, but in essence, that's what they have done. Supplanted your entire body, replicating it in every way with newer and better biological material specifically designed for the rigors of a soldier's life and challenges. A magical soldier no less.”
“But I almost died on Illuminous, and despite my strength and enhancements I was not able to stop what felt like certain death.” I argued, now only starting to realize how deeply I had been changed. I didn’t feel different. I still felt like me. A younger me to be sure, but in essence I was still me.
“Of course death is always a possibility, even when undergoing these surgeries. There are lots of dangers. Many times people’s hearts or their breathing stopped during the process. Sometimes they react to the nanobots themselves in their blood and they hemorrhage all over the place or go into anaphylactic shock. Those people are considered incompatible with the program and are returned to earth where they came from.”
“Do they heal them or are they just left to die?” I asked, reliving my own sense of injustice at being abducted. I was supposed to be retired and sure, I was unattached family-wise, but I still had plans for my retirement and I wanted a chance at a family. Being forced into this revival thing just didn
’t fit in with my plans. I sighed, my plans didn’t fit in with the Absinths plans either.
“I have no idea Colonel. I don’t question too much.” was Alex’s shifty response. He wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“Why haven’t you or the other techs gotten upgrades?” I asked, shifting the topic. It was a dead-end worrying about those who had come before.
“We do, we all have them. We just don’t get the Sim time you guys get and with all of you trying to get better and better, we are last in the queue. We all neglect them terribly. If they do not trigger the enhancements, then they will not work. Our most useful enhancements come from the intelligence upgrades and age enhancement anyway, so it’s a perfect example of why not everyone is suitable for these upgrades. We can become super athletes, but instead, we choose the intellectual pathway.”
